Tampa Bay Lightning center Vincent Lecavalier has signed with the Flyers for five years. / James Guillory, USA TODAY Sports

by Dave Isaac, USA TODAY Sports

by Dave Isaac, USA TODAY Sports

PHILADELPHIA - Saturday night, on the eve of the draft, Philadelphia Flyers general manger Paul Holmgren wasn't thinking about Sam Morin, the defenseman he took in the first round. He wasn't thinking about Robert Hagg, a second-round draft pick, either.

He was on a train up to New York with coach Peter Laviolette thinking about Vincent Lecavalier.

The 33-year-old veteran center was bought out by the Tampa Bay Lightning last Thursday and by Saturday night, he was meeting with potential suitors. Holmgren and Laviolette went back to Philadelphia later that night and drove up with the rest of management for the draft on Sunday.

When asked in the fourth round of the draft, Holmgren wasn't sure how to feel about the meeting, other than saying it went well.

Very well, apparently. The Flyers have won the sweepstakes.

Lecavalier will sign a five-year, $22.5 million contract with the Flyers, the team confirmed. Without Lecavalier on the roster, the Flyers have $4.18 million in cap space. With Lecavalier's would-be cap hit at $4.5 million, the Flyers need to shed about $300,000 just to fit the center on their roster.

In his 14-season career, all with the Lightning, Lecavalier has 383 goals and 491 assists in 1,037 career games. The four-time All-Star won a Stanley Cup with the Lightning in 2004, the year that Tampa Bay beat the Flyers in the Eastern Conference finals.

In his career against the orange and black, Lecavalier had 15 goals and 27 assists in 52 career games.

The native of Ile Bizard, Quebec, gives the Flyers a logjam at center. Captain Claude Giroux is the obvious No. 1 center and Brayden Schenn, Sean Couturier, Max Talbot and 2012 first-round pick Scott Laughton all play the position. Even if Laughton spends another season off the Flyers' roster and Talbot plays the wing, the Flyers are jam packed down the middle and they aren't done shopping yet.

Also on Holmgren's list is a second goalie to play with Steve Mason. The general manager was asked at the draft if he needs to shed more salary and his response was, "we might."